Assessment in Physical Education

Question 1

what is the purpose of assessment

Answer 1

the primary purpose of assessment and evaluation is to improve student learning (Lund and Kirk 2019)

Question 2

how does OFSTED define ‘very good’ assessment

Answer 2

• ‘pupils are helped to judge their own work and to set targets for improvement’
• but criticises that in schools frequently:
  
  • ‘assessment does not sufficiently inform teaching and learning’

Question 3

what are some questions and concerns people have

Answer 3

• how many students can clearly articulate what they have learnt in their last physical education lesson
• what their personal learning goals are for the remainder of the school term
• how well do parents, carers or head teachers understand learning expectations and student achievement in physical education
• how, if at all, does assessment support government agendas for life long participation
• what should assessment in physical education focus on
• is assessment in physical educations fair
• what forms of assessment are most appropriate in physical education? and likely to be effective?
• who should be involved in assessment in physical educations, and in what ways?
  (Penney 2020)

Question 4

what are the two main types of assessment

Answer 4

• assessment FOR learning (formative)
• assessment OF learning (summative)

Question 5

what is assessment FOR learning (formative)

Answer 5

• assess = ‘to sit beside’
  
  • systematically gathering evidence from a variety of sources
  • providing students with feedback for improvement
  • (PE teachers are always assessing - why?)

Question 6

what is assessment OF learning (summative)

Answer 6

• evaluate - make ‘judgement’
  
  • judging quality of work based on established criteria
  • assigning a value to represent that quality
  • used for grading, reporting and selection - providing accountability

Question 7

what are the purposes of assessment

Answer 7

• two key purposes
  
  • accountability for achievement
    
    • parents, school, politicians/government, etc
  • promotion of learning

Question 8

why does assessment need to be fair and equitable

Answer 8

assessment has a significant impact on learner motivation

Question 9

what are the quality criteria for assessment

Answer 9

• validity
  
  • alignment with curriculum
  • credibility/authenticity of task
• reliability
• objectivity
• usefulness/purpose
• economy/feasibility

Question 10

what are some challenges for PE

Answer 10

• practical performances: immediacy/simultaneity/large numbers
• should capture learning within, but also across strands and domains of learning
• assessment may be ongoing, multi-activity or single activity
• exceptional students may need a variety of alterations, students with SEN will need alterations to activities, criteria and scales

Question 11

what types of performance based assessments do PE use

Answer 11

• development and execution
  
  • e.g. performing a specific skill according to given criteria
• process assessments
  
  • e.g. competitive game situation in which numerous decisions and changes in direction are made

Question 12

why are assessments criticised in PE

Answer 12

• PE is frequently criticised for over-emphasising practical assessments
• assessments of the psycho-motor domain to the detriment of other learning outcomes

Question 13

what is the process for a summative assessment

Answer 13

• understanding the curriculum
• designing the assessment task
• collecting the evidence
• recording the evidence of student learning
• evaluating - making the judgement
• completing the assessment report

Question 14

what are the 4 main aspects of a curriculum

Answer 14

• aims/outcomes
• domains of learning
• pedagogy and content
• assessment

Question 15

what are the defining criteria of success

Answer 15

• evaluation
• synthesis
• analysis
• application
• comprehension
• knowledge

Question 16

how to design an assessment task

Answer 16

• focus on essential learning and expectations
  
  • what is it that we actually want to assess in PE
• determine the nature of knowledge/skill/attitude to be assessed
• what evidence is required - use a variety of assessment tasks to gather evidence
• provide students with clear targets, opportunities to meet expectations
• use achievement level descriptors as a guide for gathering evidence

Question 17

what are different ways you can collect evidence

Answer 17

• skill demonstration (performance)
• games play (performance)
• ‘core tasks’ (performance and evaluation)
• journal, quiz, test
• case study, debate, discussion
• fitness profile/log, graphic organiser
• conference
• project, presentation
• role play
• written or verbal responses to questioning
• (E)-portfolios, pictures, videos, blogs, etc

Question 18

what are the different assessment strategies

Answer 18

• what may students be doing?
• need for breadth and variety of activities to ensure fairness and authenticity
• focus on learning rather than performance

Question 19

what are the authentic-complex assessments

Answer 19

• culminating tasks (Lund and Veal 2013)
• core tasks (Casbon and Spackman 2005; QCA 2007)
• rich tasks (McPhail and Halbert 2010)
• enhanced assessment portfolios: australia (ACARA 2018)
• can digitial technologies help with this?

Question 20

how can a teacher collect evidence for assessment

Answer 20

• target setting/recording instruments
• assessment matrices/scales/rubrics
• marking schemes
• observation checklists
• video analysis

Question 21

how may achievement be demonstrated

Answer 21

• units or topics will relate to the (balanced) program you develop (e.g. basketball, trampolining, fitness etc) - fair
• some expectations will require year long assessment (e.g. fair play, participation etc)
• some expectations will be most appropriately addressed in only one topic or unit (e.g. healthy eating)

Question 22

how can you evaluate and make a judgement

Answer 22

• this generally involves determining the highest most consistent level of achievement
  however:
• confounding factors to capturing student progress/achievement:
  
  • time / quantity / quality of learning opportunities

Question 23

what are the wider learning skills that are being developed

Answer 23

• independent work
• initiative
• homework completion
• use of information
• cooperation with others
• conflict resolution
• class participation
• problem solving
• goal setting

Question 24

what are the benefits of the curriculum being based year by year

Answer 24

• supports coherence across subjects
• encourages ‘high reliability’ teaching

Question 25

what are the drawbacks of the curriculum being based year by year

Answer 25

• restricts freedom for teachers to plan different sequences
• promotes (requires?) atomisation of curriculum

Question 26

what are the benefits of the curriculum being based by each key stage

Answer 26

• allows teachers to plan different sequences
• encourages a focus on ‘big ideas’

Question 27

what are the drawbacks of the curriculum being based by each key stage

Answer 27

• difficult to ensure strong cross curricular links
• allows unnecessary differentiation

Question 28

what critical thoughts need to happen when planning a curriculum

Answer 28

• ‘what signals ability or lack of it in any given physical education context?’
• ‘what skills, knowledge and understandings does assessment in physical education at any phase of schooling acknowledge?’ and
• ‘how can students demonstrate those skills, knowledge and understandings?’

Question 29

what are the different ways assessment could be managed in PE

Answer 29

• norm-referenced assessment
  
  • against peer group
• criteria-referenced assessment
  
  • set criteria
• referenced against individuals progress
  
  • distance travelled, considering circumstances, socially just?

Question 30

what are the socio-cultural perspectives on assessments

Answer 30

• contextualise learning with the learner, their background, ability, circumstances
• appreciate the students strengths and weaknesses in relationship to their previous learning and line with contextualising factors
• describe/emphasise the students achievement rather than simply listing it in relation to the curriculum taught
• might use qualitative commentary, rather than ‘levels of achievement’
• emphasise the value of assessment for learning
• describe the ‘next steps’, giving encouragement and concrete suggestions for student
• emphasise social justice and alternatives views of valid outcomes for PE

Question 31

how can a teacher take ownership of assessment

Answer 31

• be open to reciprocal learning with students as well as peers (learning community)
• the teacher does not have to ‘own’ the assessment
• students are an important part of the process